Denver Broncos / NFL

Analysis: Chiefs face tough tests after bye

Three games down and things in the AFC West are still unexpectedly topsy-turvy, with the Chiefs the lone team in the division with more than one win and one of only three undefeated teams in the league.

The Chiefs, who are the league's No. 1 rushing team, have this weekend off — they are among the first group of teams with a bye — before getting into the teeth of their schedule.

They have surprised San Diego, narrowly defeated Cleveland and overwhelmed San Francisco. But once they return from their week away, they will go to Indianapolis (2-1) and Houston (2-1) in back-to-back weeks, where their ball-control offense will be sorely tested against two of the most high-powered attacks in the league.

If they escape that pair of games with at least a split, it will officially be time for everybody else in the division to break out the worry beads.

The Broncos, Raiders and Chargers all reside in the 1-2 club right now. And the Broncos better regain their balance quickly or the schedule would indicate the good people of London will see a reeling team by the time the Broncos reach Halloween.

Tennessee, Baltimore and the Jets are their next three — those teams are a combined 6-3 right now. Before the Broncos cross the Atlantic to face the 49ers, Oakland is the only team — on Oct. 24 — on the docket that currently has a losing record.

The issue for the Broncos is finishing drives. At 20.3 points per game, they are in the neighborhood of the league average after three games (20.2 points per game), but they are finishing trips inside their opponents' 20-yard line with touchdowns only 38.5 percent of the time, well below the league average of 49.1 percent.

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Chargers head coach Norv Turner said before the start of the season that this San Diego team was the most talented he'd been around as a head coach. Perhaps, but the team's second-tier players, or the ones filling the special-teams units, aren't getting it done, having surrendered 100-yard and 99-yard kickoff returns for scores against the Seahawks this past week.

Certainly a tough thing to swallow for a team that currently has an offense and defense ranked among the league's top five and which let former Pro Bowl special-teams pick Kassim Osgood escape in free agency. Turner said this week he will be inclined to use more starters to cover punts and kickoffs.

And the Raiders will continue to ride Darren McFadden, who is third in the league in rushing. McFadden, with 345 yards rushing, needs just 12 yards on the ground Sunday against the Texans to surpass his total from 2009.

Rockies are on pace to lose 93 games this seasonThe Rockies lost three of four in St. Louis and are on pace to lose 93 games as they come home for a three-game series with Seattle before going back on the road again to face Washington.